


Three Little Words

by ssJono



Category: All For the Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Soppy, character injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-15 00:24:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8034841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ssJono/pseuds/ssJono
Summary: After Andrew is in a car accident Neil hears what he never thought he'd hear Andrew say to him.





	Three Little Words

**Author's Note:**

> First attempt at actual fanfiction so enjoy.   
> Sorry if it's a little OoC but like I said first try...

There were three words Neil never thought he’d hear Andrew say. Then again he hadn’t thought Andrew would get in a car accident. But here he was sat at the hospital waiting room whilst they operated on him. Everything smelt too clean and the room’s decoration was outdated but Neil couldn’t seem to focus on any of the paintings of flowers or on bubbling of the filter in the fish tank. Just the words that he had said, just a slip of the tongue, as they’d wheeled him past.  
He had never needed to hear the words I love you. He always knew his mom loved him in her own funny way. It was in the teaching him to use a gun and the way she put herself in front of him whenever his father had caught up to them. Andrew showed him every day when he let Neil touch him somewhere no one else possibly could, when he woke up to stop Neil shaking from his nightmares and every kiss that made Neil feel like he could keep going. But Andrew had actually said it.   
“Neil,” a familiar voice called from the door but it hurt to look up at Aaron. Not the first person he expected to turn up but given it was his twin currently being stitched up it made sense. Aaron looked tired Neil noted but having a new-born at home was sure to be part of that.   
“Hi Aaron,” Neil said his voice surprisingly hoarse. Clearing his throat he motioned for Aaron to take a seat. Slipping next to him there was a long moment before any of them said anything again.   
“What happened?” Aaron had to ask, Neil could see it on his face. Though the twins weren’t seeing eye-to-eye there was an undying care that seemed to hold on through every fight. Maybe it was blood Neil thought with an internal shrug.   
“The other guy skipped a red light,” Neil muttered, “He was barely scratched last time I checked.”   
“I could change that,” Aaron shrugged. Though it was nowhere near the threat it would be coming from Andrew, it was there, the darkness of the Minyard’s somehow still lingering over a decade since Tilda’s death. Neil knew it would never leave Andrew he wasn’t the only one who suffered from nightmares after all, but he had hoped for Aaron. Neil gave a small smile to Aaron and let a blanket of quiet fall again. It was easier in the silence.   
“Neil wake up.” Neil’s eyes fluttered open to see Matt standing over him. His neck was sore from the angle he’d sat at. Checking the time it had only been an hour or so, still much too late at night for anyone else to be sitting with him. But one look and he could see Dan and Renee to one side. It should have taken them much longer to get here he reasoned, he only called two hours ago. But another door swung open with the answer. Allison held a tray of coffees that she brought over. Aaron was over at one side talking to a nurse. Seeing the nurse talking to Aaron straightened his spine and caused him to forget any manners.   
He was across the room before Allison had even reached them. No retort came from behind him though just a hush that followed him over. The nurse looked at Neil taking in the sight with evident confusion. She was looked at Aaron uncertainly before Aaron barked at her, “He’s the husband.”  
“Oh,” The nurse said, “I recognize you from somewhere.” From the TV Neil almost spat out but that would get him nowhere. He only needed to know one thing.   
“How is he?” Neil asked.   
“He’s gonna be okay,” the nurse smiled, “He’s still asleep but you can see him if you like. There’s a chair in there if you are going to stay all night.”  
“Of course I’m going to stay all night,” Neil snapped. The nurse took a step back slightly alarmed but he could almost hear Aaron rolling his eyes next to him.   
“I’ll go tell them,” Aaron said, “You go.”  
“Umm yeah,” Neil fished in his pocket to pull his keys out. He handed them to Aaron, “Mine and Andrew’s is the closest. You guys don’t have to stay here all night.”   
“I’ll tell them that,” Aaron said flatly before turning on his heel.   
Andrew looked calm when he slept, Neil thought. Even if he did have a cast on his arm and bruises on his face and a lot more gauze besides. But it was still him and that was enough to lead Neil to his bedside. Shuffling the chair forward a bit he allowed his hand to drift out to touch Andrew’s. They’d taken off his wristbands at some point that Andrew insisted on wearing. Still. Neil couldn’t help but look at the pale lines he knew well. A single finger drifted along them and the hand grabbed his wrist.  
“Stop it,” Andrew’s voice was thin but firm. Neil lifted his eyes to meet Andrew’s. He couldn’t have been awake the nurse said he’d still be out for a couple more hours. But here he was in the darkness looking at Neil as if it was nothing to be awake.   
“Andrew,” Neil forced himself to say. His throat was locking up he could feel it. But he wouldn’t show it. Clamp down on that he thought, he wasn’t an emotional person. Not like this. Seeing Andrew though was almost enough to bring tears to his eyes. Almost.   
“This feels shit,” Andrew huffed.  
“It’s gonna be worse in the morning,” Neil smiled, “Everyone’s here. Except Nicky of course but the rest of them are here. I mean they might be at ours but Aaron is still here I think.”   
“So I can expect fussing in the morning?”   
“A little but you are Andrew Minyard, they know better than to smother you. Or show they care at all,” Neil snorted before a sad smile spread across his face. “But they are here, I didn’t think they’d come.”  
“Don’t be stupid. They’d always be here for you.”  
“And you too apparently.”   
“No I just can’t seem to get rid of them.” He looked pointedly at Neil.  
“I’m legally allowed to be in here, you married me remember?”   
“504%.”   
Neil couldn’t help smile earning him a dark look from Andrew. Neil slipped his hand down into Andrew’s. He probably wouldn’t get a chance to talk about it again. If Andrew fell back asleep though he definitely wouldn’t. With a light tap that was quickly returned Neil lifted his head to look at Andrew again. Nerves weren’t something he usually felt round Andrew but they had bubbled up a little before he could quell them. His mouth seemed to move its own accord, “Did you mean it?”   
Andrew took his eyes off Neil’s and for a long time they sat only holding hands. Neil wondered if he’d fallen asleep again which was fine. Neil leant back to try and get some sleep of his own his hand slipping out of Andrew’s when a vicegrip caught him. Neil sat back forward and was rewarded by Andrew looking back at him. Neil could almost see the defences around Andrew coming down little by little. Brick by brick. He cleared his throat so that when he spoke he sounded more like the Andrew Neil knew. “Do you know what I first thought after the accident?”   
“No.”   
“I thought what would happen to you if I died?” Andrew admitted, “I wasn’t scared for my life, in the slightest. I told you that being scared of dying was pointless, but I was. Because I didn’t want to think of you alone again. So yes Neil, it may surprise you but I do love you.”   
“I love you too,” Neil said with more conviction than he had ever mustered. He knew it with every bone and inch of him that it was true. And that he loved every piece of Andrew no matter how many scars he had. After all Andrew loved Neil with his.


End file.
